On Prayer - Spiritual Growth
- Login to post comments
June 23, 2009 - 21:07
We have just finished the topic on prayer for spiritual growth, maybe you can comment on some of these points:
- What did God speak to you through the session?
- What are your obstacles to grow in prayer?
- How did you try to overcome it?
June 24, 2009 - 20:43
#2
Difficult for me
1) It seems God wants me to spend more time in prayer daily, cos I have been neglecting my prayer life, thinking that it is alright to go on with life with minimal prayer. No matter how much work I do, if I do not have good prayer life, I am putting myself in distance from God.
2) Lack of commitment to spend time in prayer daily, cos it seems there are a lot of things that I need to do. But if I want to grow my relationship with God, in the end I still need to go back to prayer..
3) I guess nowadays I try to really spend time in prayer, and to sleep early. I also try to remind myself that prayer is important (that I need to put God first in everything) if I want to know Him more, and He is always waiting for me to talk to Him. And He is also waiting for me to listen to Him. What is needed is on my part, to give my time to Him and listen.
June 24, 2009 - 23:44
#3
By Maggy:
3.a) since i'm a
By Maggy:
3.a) since i'm a morning person, so I wake up early, much earlier than my office hour. Then I can talk to God, If I am sleepy, I sleep at MRT, if not, I can extend the talking even inside the MRT. Still struggle for night time.
I was wondering, anybody here who are night persons, and has found a system of prayer time that works?
Waking up "much earlier than my office hour" doesn't quite work for me.
What's worked for you guys?
June 25, 2009 - 12:36
#4
Prayer
Prayer
1)......
2) Difficulties at:
a) getting substantial and quality time in prayer. No enough silence and mind is often noisy.
b) need to push prayer time earler to get more time in prayer
c) need more sleep daily to pray well, set priority
3) Solutions?
a) Often it is hard to get very good time to pray daily because of ongoings and what-not. I would try to complement this by:
i) Giving some time (for me Friday and Sunday) to longer periods of prayer and silence.
ii) Variety. I try to vary type of prayer. Some days Lectio Divina, some days rosary, some days just meditation/keeping silence for longer periods of time, some days imaginative method. I am still trying......
iii) Attend one week day Mass. I am still trying >.<
b) I pray before I sleep (about 11pm-1am depending), I am trying to push sleeping time forward (10pm-12am helps a lot). Trying to cut down time surfing net time, idling time..... trying... trying...
c) Casscading effect of not enough sleep from the weekends, maybe catch a nap some time or sleep earlier during weekend <- this is hard!!! haha also praying well depends on location, location, location. I try to fix it in my room or at adoration room.
June 26, 2009 - 20:31
#5
Pray on the bus?
Well... trying to recite rosary on the bus. Not ez though alwz lost count but i feel that better than let my mind wander off.
Set 9 pm to do daily readings though not able to stick to the timing alwz. Will try to do reading at least before i go to sleep. May not be in depth but i believe that as long as i try...somehow the things that i 'scanned' thru will come in need when i need them...
hmmmm.....
1) I feel the calling to spend time daily to be with him alone
2) a lot, let me just mention a few that I can remember .. and I still struggle with some of these:
2.a) inconsistent a.k.a moody
when i am 'in the mood' I can pray extremely long, when i am 'out of mood'... , hehehe
2.b) my expertise on giving myself excuses
my spiritual friend from Lisieux once said, "prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy." I pray everyday, coz 'I gave God simple looks' here and there everyday.
2.c) my noisy mind
I find if difficult to still my mind, even when there is no external noise.
2.d) formality
my prayer was like a liturgy. I have a format to follow, mainly thanksgiving, asking for forgiveness, petitions, silent time. Too unnatural for a relationship.
3)
- Motivating myself and trying to be faithful : recalling God's faithfulness, Love and Goodness is the most helpful motivation
- Seeking help from others whom I know have developed their prayer life or know better (e.g. spiritual direction)
- Working on the obstacles I can identify, such as the above mentioned.
3.a) since i'm a morning person, so I wake up early, much earlier than my office hour. Then I can talk to God, If I am sleepy, I sleep at MRT, if not, I can extend the talking even inside the MRT. Still struggle for night time.
3.b) I (try to) stop giving myself excuses that don't sound. I know that what St Therese meant is not to pray (or to remember God) once in a while, but 'to pray constantly' with humility. It's not enough to interpret her saying without looking at her life.
I found the following quotation banishes my excuse
CCC 2697 ... "We must remember God more often than we draw breath." But we cannot pray "at all times" if we do not pray at specific times, consciously willing it. These are the special times of Christian prayer, both in intensity and duration.
3.c) many attempts ... icons help a lot ... journaling also helps. Distractions still disturb me though. Maybe I should try playing the cat with Jesus (if you don't understand, ask Oka).
3.d) my prayer is still like a liturgy, with more or less the same format. But I feel it is getting more and more personal and natural, somehow I am no longer aware of the liturgy I am following. Prayer is not only talking and listening, but there is something changing my life as well, sometimes God can be very challenging as well.
I did not consciously do "anything" to reduce the formality. HOWEVER, I realize sometimes I am too relax and flexible, I guess i still need to balance.
Oh, please tell me if this is wrong.. I feel much less guilty than before if I fail to pray well in a day. I am hopeful that the next day will be better.